Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1887-10-12

Bible Mention Of Banners and Ensigns--
The Roman Eagle-- The crusades.
In the Bible the mention of banners,
standards and ensigns IS frequent. In
the second chapter of Numbers and
The second verse: Livery man Of the
children Of Israel shall pitch by his
own standard with the ensign Of their
fathers house, And in the thirty
fourth gerss: $50 they pitched by
their standards, and SO they set for
ward, every one after their families,
according to the house of their faith
ers." And again, when the Israelites
are marching from Sinai to Paran:
SIN the first place went the standard
Of the camp of the chilcren Of Judah,
according to their armies There are
other numerous instances, foo numer-
GUS to quote, from Isaiah, Jeremiah
and the Canticles.
Among the Egyptians tho several
companies carried standards, models
of sacred animals and emblems, and
the kings name figured in some FASH
ion on board; and the Assyrians had
much the same, of which there are two
noticed by Sir Henry Layard
one of man drawing a
bow and the other of two bulls running
in opposite directions, supposed to be
tie emh]ems of war and peace attached
to Darius chariot. The Persians had
an eagle fixed on a lance and brazen
sun on the generals tent, on which the
first rays of tho sun striking gave the
signal for the march. The Greeks in
the earlier times bore armor on aspear,
and in later each city had its sacred
emblem: for athens, the owl and the
olive; for Corinth, the pegasus. and for
Thebes, the sphinx, in memory of
Edipus; and later still, as on the sea a
red flag displayed is said to have been
the flag of battle. SO on shore the hoist
ing of a purple dress on a spear was
the signal to the Hellenes to advance
and fight. It is very easy to be tire
some with very little learning, and so
we will leave Greece and the barbar-
ians, will omit mention of the arms of
the seven against Thebes--to be found
duly set out in the play-wlll quote
none of the references from Virgil, and
come direct to the Romans and their
sigma militaria.
The manipulus in the early days of
the republic carried hay on pole, like
Breton PEASANT; then devices very
various, among them. the contorted
serpent, the special ensign of the
foreign auxiliaries. But it was not
till after the time of Marius they dis
played the eagle that in the great days
Of Rome was ever the sign of the
legion. It was that the soldiers swore
by; it was when, as last desperate
resource, it was thrown into the ranks
of the enemy, that they would follow
and rescue or die.
We are told that 100 years after
Cesar's first attack on us, Analogue,
brother of Guiderus, king OF South
Britain, bore azure a cross pattee,
Etched in the foot; and we know that
once Romans were Withdrawn and the
Saxons held rule, each kingdom of the
heptarchy was distinguished by de-
vice, of which the white horse Of Kent,
borne by Henglst and Horsa on their
shields, is familiar example. Then
we have Egbert, with a cross
patonce--t is, a cross fleurie, ex-
panded-to which his great grandson
added four martlets Ca beakless and
footless bird of heraldry), and Edward
the Confessor fifth; and that is the
flag, that and the flag of st. Edmund
blue, with three gold crowns--under
which the early English kings fought.
Now, if at this time we glance abroad
it is certain we see Clovis I, king of
the Franks, take the blue cape of St.
Martin and hoist il as the royal banner;
and for 1872 years the royal banner it
remains, till $50, when the orifamme,
red flag with green fringe, sacred to
the Abbey of st. Denis, was pulled up
over it. The fieurs-de-lys, older as an
emblem than the Trinity they are sup
posed to represent, were not peculiarly
French or royal till the Twelfth cen
tury. s's
To the crusades it is clear that we
must look for the first real dignity Of
the flag, C9ur de Lions crusade in
particular, for he gave rise to more
armorial bearings than have sprung
from any other single cause whatever,
not even excepting the battle OF Crecy.
And not only are there more families
bearing arms from merits achieved
then, or assumed arms then, but fami-
lies innumerable, on engaging in the
war. changed their devices for others
more suited to the solemnity of the oc-
casion.
Beauty of American Women.